For over a decade, the BJP’s giant slayer Suvendu Adhikari has lost several of his close aides and security personnel to unnatural deaths, the latest being the killing of his personal assistant Chandranath Rath.
Adhikari, who defeated Mamata Banerjee twice in elections and is now one of the frontrunners for the chief minister’s post in West Bengal, has indicated that this is a political killing.
While no investigative agency has established any direct link between these incidents, the cases are increasingly being referenced together in West Bengal’s political circles due to the recurring pattern of unnatural or controversial deaths.
Read: “Aide Killed As I Defeated Mamata Banerjee In Bhabanipur”: Suvendu Adhikari
2013: Death Of Another PA
The earliest such case dates back to 2013, when Pradip Jha, who worked as a personal assistant to Adhikari during his years in the Trinamool, died under circumstances that had attracted public attention in the Purba Medinipur district. But the case did not trigger a major statewide political controversy at that time. The investigators, too, did not publicly establish a criminal angle.
2018: Security Officer Found Dead
In 2018, Subhabrata Chakraborty, a State Armed Police constable posted as Adhikari’s personal security officer (PSO), was found dead at a police barrack in Kanthi, Purba Medinipur. The police initially treated the case as suicide, stating that Chakraborty had allegedly shot himself with his service revolver.
The case returned to public focus in 2021 after Chakraborty’s wife sought a fresh probe into the incident, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding his death. The West Bengal CID later reopened the investigation, reconstructed the scene and questioned several police personnel linked to the original inquiry.
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This development fuelled a political confrontation between the BJP and Trinamool, with rival parties accusing each other of attempting to politicise the case.
2021: Death Of Personal Aide
Pulak Lahiri, another personal aide to Adhikari, reportedly died under unusual circumstances in 2021. No conclusive findings establishing criminal conspiracy in the matter have been made public.
2026: Chandranath Rath Shot Dead
The latest incident involves Chandranath Rath, another close aide of Adhikari, who was shot dead in North 24 Parganas last night.
The murder has triggered sharp political reactions, with BJP leaders alleging political targeting and demanding an impartial investigation. The ruling Trinamool has rejected the allegations and accused the opposition of exploiting the incident for political mileage.
The police have launched an investigation into the killing.